What causes sports injuries

Almost any part of the body can be injured, including the muscles, bones, joints and connective tissues (tendons and ligaments). The ankles and knees are particularly prone to injury.

What to do if you have an injury

If you've injured yourself, you may have immediate pain, tenderness, swelling, bruising, and restricted movement or stiffness in the affected area. Sometimes, these symptoms may only be noticeable several hours after exercising or playing sports.

Stop exercising if you feel pain, regardless of whether your injury happened suddenly or you’ve had the pain for a while. Continuing to exercise while injured may cause further damage and slow your recovery.

If you have a minor injury, you do not usually need to see a doctor and can look after yourself at home. However, you may want to visit a GP, local minor injuries unit or NHS walk-in centre for advice if your symptoms do not get better over time. Find your nearest walk-in centre or minor injuries unit.

Depending on the type of injury, it can take a few weeks or months to make a full recovery. While recovering, it's important not to do too much too soon – aim to increase your level of activity gradually over time.